NCDC Releases February 2013 Global Climate Report

February 2013 Global Temperature Anomalies

According to NOAA scientists, the globally averaged temperature for February 2013 tied with 2003 as the ninth warmest February since record keeping began in 1880. It also marked the 28th consecutive February and 336th consecutive month (28 years) with a global temperature above the 20th century average. The last below-average February temperature and the last below-average temperature for any month was February 1985.

Many areas of the world experienced higher-than-average monthly temperatures, including eastern Europe, western Russia, the Middle East, much of Canada, and southern Greenland. Meanwhile, northern and western Alaska, far northwestern Canada, a large swath of the contiguous United States, western Europe, northwestern Africa, Siberia, Mongolia, and most of the eastern Pacific Ocean were notably below average.

This monthly summary from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides to government, business, academia, and the public to support informed decision-making.